The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-10-20
THE SILVER CRAZE.
Artistic Silver Ornaments Which Have
Taken the Place of Gold.

Especial Correspondenccl
New Iol.K, Oct 1S-"Silvcr has the lead
for street jcwelry now" remarked an uptown
Jewclcr to nc the other day 'lf you notice
You will hardly see gold ornament of any
kind upon really fashionable woman, cx-
ceit N evening dress. And while gold is 60
ing out for street wear, silver is taking tho
place OF baser metals for many purposes II
is an English fashion, and sensible ono, ito.
though, like most good fashions, it is now
carried to an extreme Gold is thought loud,
and the woman who displays much gold on
the streets takes place alongside the shoddy
dame who wears diamonds and camers
hair shawl to do her marketing. The result
Is beneficial to this country, where so large an
amount of silver is produced, and the manu-
facturc of silver jcwelry has made
a new industry. Here, for example. is y
hat pin of silver filagree," he added, taking
from the show case a delicate rose that
looked like frosted lace work 1T is made of
fine silver wire. Ten years ago all this STYLE
of silver work was imported from Genoa and
Venice. Today we can make it better and
cheaper i'll this country. That pin retails for
$3.50. In gold it would cost SIS"
HAS not the silver craze made difference
i'll the sale of gold ornamcnts?" | asked.
Not SO much rs ono would suppose. Coll
sill holds its place for evening wear and the
settings Of diamonds and other stones. Silver
has largely driven washed and rolled gold
out Of the city market, though large trade
is sprin3ing mp in silver plate. More than
half of these great silver gir'ilcs which are so
fashionable are Of silver plate and cost from
81 to s.. The same patterns, solid, sell at
from $40 TO 500; so you see the
difference. Silver is used for every
possible purpose. The dude is poor, indeed.
who does not sport q silver handled umbrella
or cane. Penknlves, razors, fans, pockctbook.,
match, cigar ard cigarette cases. paper
knives, mountings for hand bags, backs OF
brushes and button hooks are also artistically
made up i'll silver Then, too, solid silver is
largely taking the place of brass and pewter
composition for hooks and eyes, safety pins
and even common pins. When s;lverscratches
the skin it does not poison as tie composition
pins do 'ln fact" said my friend, growing
enthusiastic and making mental calculation
the while, Il can fit out a young lady with
silver ornaments. Hat pins, hair pins.
brooches, dress buttons, collar buttons, safety
pins for underwear, necklace, grllc, bangles
and finger rings. The whole outfit will weigh
fifty pounds and cost about 81 800"
But no woman would carry fifty bounds
of silyciW;"o on her person." | objected.
~ Gu don't know what woman will do
WHEN IL comes to a matter Of dress | will
wager that there are lots Of young girls on
broadway this afternoon who would be ~
haustod if they wero obliged to make up their
own beds, who arc carrying around twenty
tive pounds OF silver jeweiry and cnjoyiug it,
Cf course, the most expensive patterns of sill
yer Joweiry frequently contain the least sill
yer, the cost being III the elaborate workman
ship. Solid plates of heavy silver fo. brace
lets, necklaces and girfiles find but little
favor. The fancy is more for ornaments Of
silver wire made up into various artistic
forms. a novelty in silver plating which
has but lately been perfected has already
become very popular 1t is done by electro
plating natural objects with thin shell of
silver. Anything can be treated in this way.
knotted cane heads which, were they carved
by the old process, would cost from S25 to
$50, can be plated over the wood for IS or S.
Here is q fly clectroplated, and here is a mus
quito. Of course it is perfect reproduction
of the insect, because the insect itself
is inside. This geTanium leaf and this bit of
lace is made in the same way The process
Is to a certain extent a secret 1t used to be
impossible to make the silver in the battery
attach itself to glass, porcelain, wood or
animal matter. The discovery consists in a
liquid with which the articles arc coated, and
enables us to plate them with any metal A
gilded youth might he glttering actuality
by means Of this process. To reproduce a
bit Of lace as perfectly as this, or to make
this geranium leaf by the old process, would
have taken the labor of q skilled artist Gu
graver several days. Now it can be done,
much more accurately, by tho battery in
few hours. Glass pitchers and jugs can he
covered with a delicate tracery OF silver plat
ing, and tho broader parts can be etched i'll
the most artistic patterns"
'Wllat is tho effect Of these improvements
l asked. "Do they not take away tho occu-
patton of skilled workmany'
"Not at all" answered my friend quickly
"The skilled workmen find abundant employ
ment on moro expensive work, and it puts
beautiful things within the reach of the mil
lions, educates the public taste, and really
creates demand for moro truly beautiful
and artistic things Improvements will never
hurt the skilled workmen; they know how to
profit by them. 1t is the unskilled and care
less mechanic who suffers Artistically, tn.
silver craze has been an excellent thing It
enables people Of moderate means to have
really beautiful things, and it is a direct blow
to the inappropriate display Of gold orna-
ments and expensive and flashy jewelry on tho
streets" ALLAN FoRMAy.